When you are a skilled worker and you move to Canada, everything seems like paradise until you apply for 50 jobs without getting a response and you have no clue why. Having someone explain to you what the expectations are and support you through the adjustment period made all the difference for me. My mentor, having lived in many countries became my cultural translator. He was patient through my long winding questions on pretty much everything, and took the time to proof read my application letter and my CV before I applied, and also explained in great detail the key competencies needed to work in the Canadian Public Service. He also groomed me not only for excellence at my job, but also took it upon himself to prepare me for future leadership positons. He saw in me, what I did not know I was capable of. As a visible minority woman, I lived in fear of never being good enough like the “others”, my mentor showed me I was not only good enough, but actually brought a rare set of talent and passion due to all my past experiences in conflict zones that would be invaluable to policy makers. Thank you OCISO for matching me with the best mentor ever!